2010 PA State Forest Leasing Analysis
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Transcript of 2010 PA State Forest Leasing Analysis
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ImpactsofLeasingAdditionalStateForest
forNaturalGasDevelopment
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DCNRisentrustedtobalancetheusesandvalues
of
our
state
forests
while
protecting
the
integrityandhealthofthewholesystem.Thereareproposalsandpublicdebateaboutthemeritsofamoratoriumonnaturalgasdrilling
on
state
forest.
ThismappinganalysisdemonstrateshowanyadditionalleasinginvolvingsurfacedisturbanceupsetsthesustainablebalanceDCNRischargedto
maintain.
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State Forest Land in North-Central Pennsylvania
The State Forest System in Northcentral PA (shown in green) is home to a diverse
assemblage of plant and animal species. As part of its mission, the Bureau of Forestry
must maintain biological diversity, provide plant and animal habitat, protect & conservenative wild plants, and analyze impact to the forests ecological integrity in order to
utilize mineral resources in an environmentally sound manner.
Overview Map
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State Forest Land in Northcentral Pennsylvania
The mission of the
Bureau of Forestry
is to ensure the
long-term health,viabili ty, and
productivity of the
Commonwealth's
forests and to
conserve nativewild plants.
Managing state forests under sound ecosystem
management, to retain their wi ld characterretain their wi ld characterand
maintain biological diversitymaintain biological d iversity while providing purepure
waterwater, opportunities for low-density recreation,
habitats for forest plants and animalshabitats for forest plants and animals, sustainedyields of quality timber, and environmentallyenvironmentally
sound ut ilization of mineral resourcessound utilization of mineral resources.
Protecting forestlandsProtecting forestlands, public and private, from
damage and/or destruction by fires, insects,
diseases and other agents. Promoting forestry and
the knowledge of forestry by advising and assistingother government agencies, communities,
landowners, forest industry, and the general public
in the wise stewardship and utilization of forestwise stewardship and utilization of forest
resourcesresources. Protecting and managing native wildProtecting and managing native wild
floraflora resources by determining status, classifying,and conserving native wild plantsconserving native wild plants.
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Unique
Areas
Road, Trail, &
Stream Buffers
Native Biological Diversity
Threatened / Endangered Spp.
Rare / Declining Spp.
Wild & Natural Areas
Steep, Wet, & Rocky Areas
Old GrowthWild Plant Sanctuaries
Species
of Concern
Outside the Marcellus
Shale Formation
McKeanPotter Tioga
Bradford
Clearfield Centre
Clinton
Lycoming
Sullivan
Aesthetics / Scenery
Corridors
ConnectivityWater Quality
DCNR Gas Lease
Ecologically Sensitive
Other State Forest
Legend
State Forest Land
in the Marcellus
Shale Region
State Forest Land
Currently Leased or
Severed
Unleased Land in
Ecologically
Sensitive Areas
Cameron
Elk
Severed Rights
Inaccessible w/o
Damaging
Ecologically
Sensitive Areas
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
Not all state forest land is subject to natural gas development. The land outside the
Marcellus Shale Formation region is cross-hatched in gray.
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
DCNR Gas Lease
Much of the State Forest System has already been leased for natural gas. These areas
are shown in dark blue.
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
DCNR does not own mineral rights to approximately 15% of State Forest Land. These
acres are unavailable for leasing and are shown in light blue. Although these areas
are not available for leasing, they are subject to natural gas development by the privateowners who own the subsurface rights.
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Species of Concern
Not all areas are appropriate for natural gas development. The ecologically sensitive
areas shown in red are not appropriate for gas development because they contain
unique species or features that contribute to native biological diversity or contain rare,threatened, endangered, or declining species.
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Species of Concern
Unique Area
A series of unique areas have been added in red to the map. These ecologically
sensitive areas include wild & natural areas, old growth, wild plant sanctuaries, or steep,
wet, and rocky areas. They are also not appropriate for natural gas development.
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Species of Concern
Unique Area Road, Trail, & Stream Buffers
Road, trail, and stream buffers are added in red to the map. These ecologically
sensitive areas protect water quality, provide wildlife travel corridors, are managed for
aesthetics / scenery, and provide habitat connectivity. As such, they are notappropriate for gas development.
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Maintaining the Forests Ecological Integrity
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Species of Concern
Unique Area Road, Trail, & Stream Buffers
Inaccessible w/o Damaging
Sensitive Areas
The remaining fragments of green areas are small in size and intertwined with
ecologically sensitive areas they cannot be developed for gas without crossing and
damaging ecologically sensitive areas.
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
Pennsylvanias State Forest System contains some of the most remote and wild forest
in the Mid Atlantic Region. The largest and most remote areas are found within the
Marcellus Shale Formation in the Northcentral portion of the state (shown in greenabove). Part of the Bureau of Forestrys mission is to retain this wild character within
the forest.
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Much of the State Forest System has already been leased for Natural Gas (shown in
dark blue). DCNR does not own mineral rights to approximately 15% of State Forest
Land. These acres are unavailable for leasing and are shown in light blue. Althoughthese areas are not available for leasing, they are subject to natural gas development
by the private owners who own the subsurface rights.
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Off Limits (Primitive)
The most primitive and undeveloped areas of the State Forest are shown in red above.
DCNR has designated these areas as off limits to drilling because they provide peace,
solitude, remoteness, and backland experiences for recreation.
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Off Limits (Primitive)
Semi-Primitive
Semi-Primitive areas are shown in orange. These areas are moderately remote and
contain limited timber and gas activities, but still contribute to the wild characteristics of
the forest. Gas development in Semi-Primitive areas can shrink or destroy Primitiveareas that are nearby or adjacent.
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Off Limits (Primitive)
Semi-PrimitiveSemi-Developed
The remaining lands that are not Primitive or Semi-Primitive are shown in dark green
as Semi-Developed. Encounters with other recreationists, motorized activity, as well as
timber and gas activities can be expected here. However, gas development in theseareas will shrink or destroy Primitive or Semi-Primitive areas that are nearby or
adjacent.
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Impacts on the Wild Character
Zooming into
this region
NoneNoneSemi-Developed
Mile250 acSemi-Primitive
Mile500 acPrimitive
RemotenessMin SizeZone
The next series of slides models
change to the forests wild
character as a result of natural gasdevelopment on State Forest land.
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TopographyTioga State Forest,
Northcentral, Pennsylvania
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New Well Pad Locations
NewNatural Gas
Well Pads
An estimated 54 new well pads
could be developed within the
next 5-10 years in this ~65,000acre landscape view.
Estimated well pad locations
are shown in blue diamonds.
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Wild Character before Well PadsTodays Wild Character
RED = PrimitiveORANGE = Semi-Primitive
GREEN = Semi-Developed
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New Access Roads Required
New Roads
to Access
Well Pads
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Forests Wild Character with New Well PadsFuture Wild Character
(result of gas development)
RED = Primitive
ORANGE = Semi-Primitive
GREEN = Semi-Developed
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Impact on the Forests Wild CharacterChange to the wild character of
the forest as a result of gas
development. Todays(current) wild character is
overlaid with dashed lines.
Significant decreases in
Primitive (red) and Semi-
Primitive (orange) are
observed. There is a dramatic
increase in semi-developed(green) areas.
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Impact on the Forests Wild Character
Reynolds Spring
Natural Area
Pine Creek
Gorge
The only two remaining
primitive areas are labeled, and
they are found to be NaturalAreas. Slight modification to
the roads and well pad site
location around the Reynolds
Spring Area could have easily
destroyed this Primitive Area as
a narrow strip of red is all that
holds it together.
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Change in the Forests Wild Character
Before After
In this ~65,000 acre landscape view,
with 54 new well pads
13,545Semi-Developed
-5,374Semi-Primitive
-8,171Primitive
Net Gain/LossZone
2,008
Acres
16,478
Acres46,037
Acres
32,493
Acres
10,179
Acres
21,852
Acres
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Modeling Change in the Forests Wild Character
Before After
In this ~65,000 acre landscape view,
with 54 new well pads
13,545Semi-Developed
-5,374Semi-Primitive
-8,171Primitive
Net Gain/LossZone
2,008
Acres
16,478
Acres46,037
Acres
32,493
Acres
10,179
Acres
21,852
Acres
Additional Natural Gas
Development Involving
Surface Disturbance
would SignificantlyDamage the Wild
Character of the State
Forest
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
Private Land
Impacts
Gas development on surrounding
private land also has a lasting
impact on the state forests wild
character.
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Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
Marcellus Permits 2008
Private Land
Impacts
The red points are private land
Marcellus Shale well permits
issued in 2008.
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C
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Marcellus Permits 2008
Marcellus Permits 2009
Marcellus Permits 2010
Private Land
Impacts
The purple points are private land
Marcellus Shale well permits
issued in 2010.
Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
M i t i i th F t Wild Ch t
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Marcellus Permits 2008
Marcellus Permits 2009
Marcellus Permits 2010
Major Pipelines
Private Land
Impacts
The brown lines show major
pipelines. Marcellus Shale permit
activity is forming a pattern that
concentrates around existingpipeline infrastructure.
Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
M i t i i th F t Wild Ch t
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Marcellus Permits 2008
Marcellus Permits 2009
Marcellus Permits 2010
Major Pipelines
Private Land
Impacts
Gas development on private lands
is already surrounding the state
forest in some areas causing an
uncompensated, lasting change onthe forests wild character.
Maintaining the Forests Wild Character
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TNC WPC Priority Forest Patches
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TNC-WPC Priority Forest Patches
A joint effort conducted by The Nature Conservancy and The Western Pennsylvania
Conservancy evaluated contiguous patches of forestland in the Commonwealth. Some
of their results, which identify high-quality patches of large, intact forests and their
supporting landscapes, are found on State Forest Land in the Marcellus Shale region.
TNC WPC Priority Forest Patches
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TNC-WPC Priority Forest Patches
DCNR Gas LeaseSevered Rights
Much of the State Forest System has already been leased for Natural Gas (shown in
dark blue). DCNR does not own mineral rights to approximately 15% of State Forest
Land. These acres are unavailable for leasing and are shown in light blue. Although
these areas are not available for leasing, they are subject to natural gas development
by the private owners who own the subsurface rights.
TNC WPC Priority Forest Patches
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TNC-WPC Priority Forest Patches
DCNR Gas LeaseSevered Rights
TNC-WPC Forest Patches
The red areas added to this map show priority forest patches identified through the
Forest Conservation Analysis conducted jointly by The Nature Conservancy and The
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. These areas identify high-quality patches of large
intact forest and their supporting landscapes. They represent priority forest conservation
areas. As such, they are not appropriate for natural gas development.
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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The Forests
Ecological Integrity
TNC-WPCForest Patches
Existing Leases &
Severed Rights
The ForestsWild Character
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
Lets now step back and take a bigger picture look among all the analyses shown
existing leases, severed rights, the forests wild character, ecological considerations,
and the conservancys priority forest patches.
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
DCNR Gas Lease
Much of the State Forest System has already been leased for Natural Gas. These
areas are shown in dark blue.
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
DCNR does not own mineral rights to approximately 15% of State Forest Land. These
acres are unavailable for leasing and are shown in light blue. Although these areas
are not available for leasing, they are subject to natural gas development by the private
owners who own the subsurface rights.
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
When we add the areas that are ecologically sensitive (red)
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Primitive Areas
along with Primitive areas (added in red)
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Primitive Areas
TNC-WPC Forest Patches
and Priority Forest Patches (added in red) identified by The Nature Conservancy and
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Primitive Areas
TNC-WPC Forest Patches
Major Pipelines
Marcellus Permits (08 10)
and consider the impacts from surrounding private lands (added to the map in black
diamonds are Marcellus well permits from 2008-2010)
p
Cumulative Assessment & Impacts
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DCNR Gas Lease
Severed Rights
Ecologically Sensitive Areas
Primitive Areas
TNC-WPC Forest Patches
Major Pipelines
Marcellus Permits (08 10)
Inaccessible w/o damaging
sensit ive areas
were left with small, fragmented areas (shown in green) that are not accessible for
gas development without crossing and damaging the forests wild character or
ecological integrity.
p
Conclusion
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inaccessible w/o damaging
sensitive areas
1,500,000 acres
-700,000 acres
-702,500 acres
97,500 acres
-27,500 acres
70,000 acres
-49,600 acres
20,400 acres
-20,400 acres
0 acres
in the marcellus shale region
currently under lease / severed rights
unleased in ecologically sensitive areas
addit ional Primitive land
additional TNC-WPC
forest patches
There are zero State ForestLand acres suitable for
gas leasing involving
surface disturbance.